Thanks For The Memories, Snoopy
by Dolores-the-Dip
Summary: Snoopy's on his deathbed and twenty-year-old Charlie Brown reflects on the beagle's wonderful life. Rated T for character death


Thanks For The Memories, Snoopy

A Peanuts Fanfiction

By LivingOnLaughs

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Charlie Brown knew what was going on as he hugged his mom tightly. He had only wound up with a minor concussion and a swollen, right eye. Snoopy on the other hand lay perfectly still on his hospital bed.

"Snoopy, wake up, please!" he cried as his mom's arms wrapped around his waist lovingly. Sister Sally was there praying by Snoopy's bed but she knew better. She knew what was going on. Sometimes she had more common sense than her own big brother did.

"Charlie" she began. She had rarely called him that so it was probably bad. "I don't think Snoopy'll make it" she explained, shaking her head back and forth sadly. At seventeen, she knew the grieving process all too well.

"Mom, tell me she's lying" he sniffled as Mrs. Brown planted a kiss on his temple, not saying anything. "He's my best friend, Mom…he can't die" Charlie explained, remembering the awful truth.

He was driving Snoopy home from (of all places) the vets when they collided with the truck of a drunk driver. The air bag luckily protected Charlie Brown; but Snoopy sailed out of the windshield. A witness called 911 and they airlifted Snoopy to the hospital. Now the beagle was on life support and probably wouldn't make it through the night.

"Where's Dad?" Sally asked, holding the unconscious dog's paw tightly, holding onto every ounce of life it held. She had changed since first grade, getting a scolarship to the college of her dreams and becoming more understanding with homework. Her best grade was a C+, which would make her tutor proud.

Charlie Brown looked at his dog. The white on his fur was now gray and his eyes were shut. A tube was up his dry nose and he had an IV on his left paw. Needles were placed on his cheeks, chest and back paws to get blood inside him. "Oh Snoopy" Charlie sobbed sadly.

The beagle wasn't as young and chipper as when they were carefree children, which was understandable. After the passing of Woodstock from falling from atop Snoopy's doghouse, Snoopy fell into a coma of depression, only coming out of his doghouse to eat. He didn't dance, battle the Red Baron or greet Charlie Brown and Sally after school after that incident. That was four years ago though.

"Hey Charlie Brown" a voice said sadly from behind the lovable loser. She was a fairly skinny, tall woman with puffy, black hair and a designer's purse. Her dress was a nice baby blue and she had cherry lipstick on her. He recognized her from their high school graduation picture as Lucy Van Pelt, which was ironic since she always called Snoopy a stupid beagle.

"Lucy, what're you three doing here?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief as he noticed Linus and Rerun with her. The former had outgrown his blanket and turned it into a cloth he shoved in his jeans' pocket while the latter was sporting a red t-shirt with a paw print on it (along with a hat with the word _Lucas_ on it).

"We heard about Snoopy, Charles" Rerun began, removing said hat. "So we're here to comfort you in your hour of need," he explained. Rerun was a genuinely kind boy at age sixteen; like Charlie's friends, Marcie and Franklin along with Linus. 'We're so glad you're okay," Rerun said, gently hugging the round-headed-boy.

"Is Snoopy gonna be alright?" Lucy asked; shocking her brothers as their jaws dropped. Linus teasingly put a hand on his sister's forehead. "Knock it off, Linus! I'm serious! Charlie Brown is Snoopy alright?" she repeated, grabbing her brother's hand and squeezing it. Some things never changed.

"The doctor says it'll be a miracle if he survives the night" he sighed, letting his blond curls fall into his hazel eyes. When he was a depressed boy, his bespectacled friend would peck him on the cheek or Franklin would give him a pat on the back for good effort. "I wish that was me on the bed," Charlie Brown cried a little.

"Charlie Brown, don't say that" Linus exclaimed in alarm, holding Sally's hand. "God put Snoopy on that bed for a reason…he is an old dog, Charlie Brown…maybe it's his time" he suggested as Sally broke down into tears. "Besides, you said yourself he was gonna pass on when we were 14 and 12…this is a miracle that he lasted an extra six years" he reasoned.

Charlie Brown sighed, hanging his head in shame as his mom hugged him lovingly. "But Linus…" he quivered, dreading when the heart monitor the beagle was attached to would flat line.

"Don't 'But Linus' me, Charlie Brown…Snoopy's led a good, long life…it's time to say goodbye to him" Linus sighed. As much as he hated Snoopy time-to-time, he hated seeing Charlie Brown upset even more. "I'm just as upset as you…if you ever need to talk to me, you have my phone number and I'll gladly talk to you anytime you need it," he reminded his lifelong friend, who pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper with ten numbers from 1-0 on it.

"Linus is right, you blockhead" Lucy stated. At nineteen, she was a bossy girl that was still swooning over Schroeder, yet she had tried being nicer to Charlie Brown, and yes, she did pull the football away from him on multiple occasions. "That dumb ol' dog has led a good life, Charlie Brown," she explained, secretly crying inside.

"I…I just wish…" Charlie began before the hospital door opened and closed again. The flip flop flip flop of sandals immediately caught his attention. "Peppermint Patty?" he asked, perking up a little, knowing she would help contemplate Snoopy's life, how he was wrong there.

"Charlie Brown?" a woman with flowing, red hair asked. Her turquoise skirt matched her eyes exactly, her neon green t-shirt was the same color as her sandals and her freckles were scattered across her cheeks. "I heard about Snoopy…need someone to talk to?" she asked. He knew that voice, could it really be **HER?**

"Heather? Heather Wold?" he questioned, glimpsing at her. She was an inch and a half taller than him, but one popular cheerleader back at high school. "What? How? When?" he began, trying to find the best way to begin his sentence without success.

"Charlie Brown, Marcie told me about Snoopy…I'm so sorry" Heather broke down into tears, hugging the lovable loser. "She said that she saw the crash scene and immediately told me…how're you feeling?" she asked kindly. Usually Charlie Brown would get a plain and simple _'You blockhead'_ in his face; this was different. Heather was asking him how he was.

"Heather, I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders" he simply answered, letting the tears trickle down his cheeks. Her gentle fingers brushed each tear as he let them escape his bloodshot eyes. "Snoopy is dying and I couldn't save him" he burst into tears. "I knew I shouldn't have taken him to the vets…I knew I should've walked him to the park…I knew I shouldn't have gone in Dad's car…I'm a failure" he spat out.

"Charles Monroe Noah Brown Junior, you're not a failure" Heather reassured, patting his back kindly. "If you were a failure, would I have written to you when we were pen pals? Would Marcie and Peppermint Patty fight over you? Would Snoopy be your loyal dog if that were the case? Charlie Brown, if you were a failure, which you aren't, you'd be the one in Snoopy's place and I'd never have loved you," she explained, kissing his cheeks. "Everything will be alright, Poor Sweet Baby," she continued.

 _Poor, sweet baby,_

 _Poor, poor, sweet, sweet baby._

 _Show me where it hurts, I'll tell you how to make it well,_

 _I've won lots of loving cups for playing show and tell._

 _My poor, sweet baby,_

 _Poor, poor, sweet, sweet baby._

 _When you need a shoulder, come and try mine on for size,_

 _I'm real good at holding hands and,_

 _Really great at drying eyes._

 _Just try me,_

 _Cry me all your tears._

 _Why deny me,_

 _The pleasure of dryin' 'em?_

 _Stoppin' you cryin' 'em?_

 _Don't despair for,_

 _Smiles are what I'm there for._

 _You won't have to call on me, I'll always be right near,_

 _Near to kiss and cuddle you and,_

 _Whisper in your little ear,_

 _Don't fear._

 _There, there, baby._

 _Poor, sweet baby,_

 _Poor, sweet baby,_

 _Mama's here._

He remembered that song from a talk he had with Peppermint Patty under the old oak tree back when they were nine and eight respectively. He also had to admit that Heather had a lovely voice when she sang. Closing his eyes, Charlie Brown found himself back on the ballfield pitching a fly ball to Peppermint Patty, talking at the brick wall with Linus, Franklin and/or Pigpen or even at Lucy's psychiatric booth. The memories almost made him forget about Snoopy's condition until he felt Heather's lips touch his.

Looking over at his frail furry friend, Charlie sighed. "Charlie Brown, are you okay? You seem depressed," the (not so) Little Red Haired Girl noticed. "Is something wrong?" she asked, knowing the answer she was going to get; instead, he silently looked at her with tears in his eyes. "Poor Sweet Baby" she sighed, kissing the tear on his right cheek.

Later that night, after the Van Pelts and Heather left, Charlie, Sally and their mother were still in the hospital. Charlie Brown was the only one awake as he patted the top of Snoopy's nose. It was desert dry and warm. "Snoopy, you were the best dog I could've ever asked for" he sniffled. At twenty years of age, he was a beginning cartoonist suffering from writer's block.

"All those years ago, you were always there for me, you were the greatest dog in the world and my best friend. There'll never be another Snoopy…I know everyone said this since you've been here but you were our favorite beagle and you made all our lives better…I love you, Snoopy" he explained, holding Snoopy's good paw.

The beagle's eyes opened slightly as he gave a faint smile. He was accepting his fate. _"Charlie Brown, give me your face"_ he thought weakly as Charlie leaned forward to kiss his dog's furry muzzle. Snoopy then mustered all his strength to brush away the tears forming in his owner's eyes. _"Goodbye, Charlie Brown"_ he smiled, closing his eyes again.

Charlie held Snoopy in his arms as the beagle breathed his last breath at 1:01 in the morning. "Goodbye, Snoopy" he sniffled sadly, placing the dog back on the bed. Snoopy was gone, but his memory lives on inside the round-headed-kid's heart and those of the Peanuts gang. "Best dog ever" he sighed, picturing Snoopy atop his doghouse in Heaven, talking to Woodstock and flying through the sky happily with eternal energy. The happy thought soon lulled him to sleep, his head resting on Snoopy's deathbed to be near him one last time.

Later in the morning, Charlie awoke in the Van Pelt's clunky car, wrapped in Linus' blanket, "Snoopy's gone" Rerun advised him, holding his hand sadly. "Lucy told me" he explained. Charlie Brown sat up straight in confusion. Why wasn't he with his mom and sister? Where were they going? How'd they find out?

"Lucy, where're we going exactly?" he asked the driver. Lucy adjusted her rearview mirror to see Charlie Brown. Her boyfriend, Schroeder, was in the passenger seat and Linus was next to Rerun, who sat in the middle of him and Charlie Brown. "Can somebody tell me what's going on?" he repeated angrily.

"Charlie Brown, we're sorry about your loss" Schroeder sighed, passing a box of tissues to the back seat. It was clear both Van Pelt brothers were also mourning the beagle's death. "But be thankful he's lived this long" the Beethoven obsessed blond explained.

"Yeah, Blockhead…we expected Snoopy to die when we were beginning middle school" Lucy agreed from the driver's seat. She had put on a CD of the _Carpenters_ on the radio and her mascara was staining her peachy complexion. "Seeing him in such a critical condition made me cry" she stated as Charlie picked up an empty can of banana ice cream from behind the driver's seat. "At least he's in a better place with that little bird," she added.

"Yeah…now he's with Woodstock…I hope he's finally at rest," Charlie explained before remembering something: he had a deadline to come up with a new cartoon that was nearing and he had an idea of a concept. "Hear me out you four but how about a cartoon of a group of kids and a beagle?" he asked the gang.

"Not a bad idea, Charlie Brown and it sounds like a great way to cope with Snoopy's passing," Linus praised, handing his friend the beagle's faded, red color. The tags were still attached and it looked just like new. "Rerun cleaned it up last night because it had blood on it," he stated.

Charlie smiled as he touched the tag lovingly.

 _Snoopy Bill Brown_

 _1950, Schulz Street_

 _PNTS50_

"Thanks" he smiled, placing the collar on his lap. Placing all the memories of his beagle on his lap. Placing his childhood on his lap. "You were the best dog I could've asked for" he sniffled happily. After being dropped off at home, he raced to his car and placed said collar on the dashboard. "There we go…now Snoopy'll live on forever" he proclaimed to his mom, dad, sister and Heather. They all hugged him tightly, sharing the grief. "He's in a good place now, guys," he told them as Heather kissed him lovingly. He could never turn back the hands of time, but he wanted to keep Snoopy in his memory until he could see him again. He decided to keep the doghouse in the yard, stored all the supper bowls in a box and put all the clothes of the dog's alter egos in another box. Now he could always be with his favorite, unique beagle.


End file.
